Fatty Liver

Addressing Causes of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver

• Obesity and Insulin Resistance
• Hypothyroidism
• Estrogen Dominance
• Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Timely Detection of LIver Disease with Physical Markers

Avoid Liver Cirrhossis

Liver Chi

Cordyceps Extract

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L.B., a 60-year-old female from Rhode Island, had non-alcoholic fatty liver. After taking Liver for over a month, her AST level reduced from 87 to 28 (Table 1). An ultrasound revealed that she has no fatty liver anymore.







K. Hoffman, LAc, DAc from Connecticut, has a 50-year-old male patient whose liver enzymes have been elevated for 22 years due to non-alcoholic fatty liver. After taking Liver Chi for 3 months, his liver enzymes were back to normal.

Did you know that fatty liver affects about 25% Americans (and 34% Hispanics) and is the most common cause of abnormal liver enzymes, ALT and AST? The rising rate of obesity and metabolic syndrome in the United States is a contributing factor to the increased incidence of fatty liver. Over 70% of overweight individuals have fatty liver and most of them will die of coronary heart disease. Among people with a body mass index (BMI) of over 30 (obese status), 80% have fatty liver. Among Hispanics, Caucasians and African Americans who have Type 2 Diabetes, 34% to 75% have fatty liver.

The average liver contains less than 5% fat. But certain conditions like obesity, chronic alcoholism, chronic ulcerative colitis, diabetes, etc., causes the fat content in the liver cells to increase. Liver activity of course deteriorates when the liver cells are saturated with fat. A fatty liver works on overdrive, producing factors in excess that become toxic to the liver itself. It is also a minor symptom of hepatitis that may indicate a progression to cirrhosis. While fatty liver can be caused by alcohol, we will be focusing on non-alcoholic fatty liver for this issue. A fatty liver is reversible and can be normalized after reasonable treatment of the underlying cause.

LIVER ENZYMES: ALT and AST 

Looking at the liver enzymes, ALT and AST can give us a better idea of the liver risks involved

For alcohol drinkers, if the AST is two times higher than ALT level and both levels are moderately high, the risk for alcohol-induced fatty liver is high.

If ALT is three times higher than normal and there is abdominal pain, there is a risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver.

If ALT is three times higher than AST, there is increased risk for cirrhosis.

If both numbers are within normal range but the AST/ALT ratio is over 0.8, there definitely is a high chance of non-alcoholic hepatitis that may develop into liver cirrhosis, especially if you are overweight or have metabolic syndrome.

Treatment of fatty liver involves dealing with the underlying cause. If it is alcohol induced, then avoidance of alcohol is necessary to allow the liver to regenerate itself. If diabetes is the cause, then controlling blood glucose level is important. Controlling weight and cholesterol is another option for those with fatty liver.

To effectively address fatty liver, lose extra weight but do so gradually. Drastic weight loss can cause even more health issues. Also normalize lipids to reduce fat in the liver. Exercising can also reduce fatty liver. Manage the cortisol/DHEA ratio. Keep it in the normal range.

1. Obesity and Elevated Lipids/Cholesterol

The increasing prevalence of fatty liver is attributed to the increasing trend of obesity worldwide. To reduce fatty liver, it is important to lose weight but do so gradually. Drastic weight loss can cause even more health issues.

Normalize lipids and cholesterol to reduce fat in the liver. You can do this by changing your diet. Avoid white rice, white bread, etc. Taking Wine Extract can also help lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels, as illustrated in the following case.

Sep 2015 – A male patient in CA, had high lipids and cholesterol. After changing his diet (no more white rice or bread, just brown rice) and taking Wine Extract for a month, his lipid profile improved.











Insulin Resistance
Insulin controls blood sugars and fat cell metabolism. Resistance to insulin hinders the body’s ability to process glucose properly. Instead it can lead to more fat accumulation in cells and tissues, including in the liver. To lower insulin resistance, Diabend, OxyPower and Myomin are recommended. Please refer to the May 8, 2015 issue of the Chi Health Letter for more details on Insulin Resistance.

2. Hypothyroidism and Intestinal Permeability

Low thyroid function (High TSH level or elevated T3) has been associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver. For example, in one study on 4,648 patients, 29.9% of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH> 4.1) had fatty liver while 36.3% of patients with overt hypothyroidism (free T4 < 0.7) had fatty liver (Reference: J Hepatol. 2012;57(1):150-6). This comes as no surprise because thyroid hormones are involved in regulating body weight, lipid metabolism and insulin resistance. So low thyroid function can inhibit the body’s ability to metabolize fat and increase insulin resistance.

To address hypothyroidism, Pro-Metabolic is recommended. Please read the September 18, 2015 Chi Health Letter issue for more information about hypothyroidism.

Furthermore, low thyroid function and high estrogen increases intestinal permeability. The small intestines have many bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria can increase the polysaccharides and other harmful substances in the cell walls thereby causing intestinal hyperpermeability. This allows substances (bacteria and other endotoxins) to spread from the small intestines to the bloodstream to the liver, increasing alkaline phosphatase (Alk phos) levels and the risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver. Therefore, those with leaky gut syndrome are at an increased risk for fatty liver.

To address increased intestinal permeability, take Digestron and GI Chi. Both of these will reduce intestinal inflammation and repair damage to intestinal mucosa. Our October 23, 2015 Chi Health Letter issue discusses more details about leaky gut syndrome and intestinal permeability. For low thyroid function, take Pro-Metabolic.

3. Estrogen Dominance

High estrogen is also a factor that needs to be addressed in both non-alcoholic fatty liver and hypothyroidism. Estrogen is metabolized in the liver so having excess estrogen can cause decreased liver function. If you have large cherry angiomas on the abdomen, this can signify both estrogen dominance and liver problem. For more details on estrogen and liver issues, please refer to the May 1, 2015, issue of the Chi Health Letter.

Excess estrogen is also an underlying factor in hypothyroidism. This is because estrogen increases the binding of thyroid hormones causing a decrease in thyroid levels. To lower estrogen, Myomin, a natural aromatase reducer, is recommended. For more information on estrogen and the thyroid, please check out our September 18, 2015 Chi Health Letter issue.

4. Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is an underlying state in fatty liver, characterized by increased C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6, etc. Oxidative stress can trigger this increase in CRP and cytokines. OxyPower is a very effective supplement that can reduce CRP and inflammation. Read our August 7, 2015 and November 14, 2014 issues of the Chi Health Letter for more details on inflammation.

If you already know you have a liver problem like hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, of course you need to start taking Liver Chi right away. But sometimes liver problems can be asymptomatic and go undetected for a long time until it has progressed to a more serious stage.

Liver symptoms such as dry mouth, bitter or metallic taste, fatigue, bloating, jaundice and abdominal pain may be present in liver disease. If there is pain in the upper right quadrant area (which can also radiate towards the back), this typically is related to a gallbladder problem, which means the liver may be affected as well. Read more on gallbladder issues in our next newsletter.

AST/ALT Ratio over 0.8 Indicates Fatty Liver and May Lead to Cirrhosis

Looking for physical signs and symptoms of liver disease can be helpful in determining liver disease risk early. Checking the liver enzymes, ALT and AST, can also be beneficial. Even if both enzymes may be within normal range, their ratio may indicate otherwise. So at the first sign of a liver problem or if both your liver enzymes are elevated or your AST/ALT ratio is over 0.8 with both enzymes in the normal range, take Liver Chi right away.

Also look at Alkaline Phosphatase (Alk Phos) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels (Table 3). If both GGT and Alk Phos are positive, it can be due to liver or bladder disease. If only Alk Phos is positive, it can also be due to a parathyroid problem.








There are ways to detect liver problems early. In our May 1, 2015 issue of the Chi Health Letter, we detailed physical markers to look for that can indicate liver disease. These markers include the following:

Dark, branching veins under the tongue (Figure 1)
Having more than two branching and bulging veins indicates liver disease. This can be a manifestation of varices or bulging blood vessels in the esophagus due to portal hypertension as a complication of liver disease, especially liver cirrhosis. When these varices rupture, it can cause patients to vomit blood.

Thick, wide tongue (Figure 2)
A thick, wide tongue may indicate hepatitis or even liver cancer.

Large cherry angiomas on the chest and abdomen (Figure 3)
This can indicate either estrogen dominance or liver problems, or both.

Spider veins on chest and abdomen (Figure 4)
Combined with generalized skin itching, spider veins on the chest and abdomen may indicate liver cirrhosis












Red palm
This develops due to portal hypertension as a result of liver disease.

Acanthosis nigricans (Figure 5)
This is dark, wrinkly pigmentation found under the arms or on the neck commonly found in overweight individuals. This indicates fatty liver as well as insulin resistance or diabetes.

About 3 years ago, a 76-year-old male with no hepatitis started to vomit blood. When he was taken to the hospital they found he had erupted esophageal varices causing the bleeding. He was then diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. Every 3 months he had to undergo an ultrasound and upper endoscopy as well as take several medications.

Liver cirrhosis can develop from fatty liver, liver fibrosis and hepatitis, among other causes. But it can be prevented by detecting liver problem early and taking action. In the case above, his liver cirrhosis could have been prevented early before it caused the bleeding in the esophagus.

If you already see branching, bulging veins under the tongue, then this should signal ruptured varices, a life-threatening complication of severe liver damage in cirrhosis.

Jaundice in the skin and eyes signal serious liver problems like cirrhosis or liver cancer. Cirrhosis patients may also be depressed and get angry easily, have dry and bitter mouth and have very thin and white dull nails. Nail clubbing can also indicate liver cirrhosis besides lung or heart issues. Cirrhosis in this case may be autoimmune in nature.

Moreover, generalized skin itching as well as spider veins on the abdomen may indicate liver cirrhosis. A biopsy may be needed to confirm it but try to avoid biopsy by using early markers of liver disease and taking supplements like Liver Chi to improve liver function before fatty liver can develop into cirrhosis. If you have to undergo a biopsy, do not forget to take Angiostop about a month before the procedure.

If liver cirrhosis was caused by hepatitis, then hepatitis needs to be controlled. It may be difficult to regain normal functioning of the liver but liver function can be better when hepatitis is addressed. Hepatitis will be discussed in the next two issues of this newsletter.

Liver Chi is a combination of herbs proven to improve liver function, increase fat metabolism and minimize fat sediments from forming in the liver, preventing fatty liver and cirrhosis. It has been shown to reduce elevated liver enzymes and improve symptoms associated with liver disease such as fatigue, bloating, jaundice, loss of appetite, constipation and more. Liver Chi can also inhibit the Hepatitis virus. This will be discussed in the next newsletter issue.

Liver Chi Protects the Liver and Repairs Damage
Liver Chi protects the liver from damage by reducing liver cell death. It also increases the liver mitosis rate, allowing liver cells to regenerate faster and recover its functions.

Liver Chi Reduces Liver Enzymes, ALT and AST
One way to measure liver function is through the ALT and AST level. Elevated levels of both enzymes definitely indicate impaired liver function. However, even if both enzymes may be within normal range, their ratio may indicate otherwise.

Remember, if the AST is two times higher than ALT level and both levels are moderately high, the risk for alcohol-induced fatty liver is high.

If both numbers are within normal range but the AST/ALT ratio is over 0.8, there definitely is a high chance of non-alcoholic fatty liver or liver cirrhosis, especially if you are overweight or have metabolic syndrome.

Studies: Liver Chi for Alcohol-induced Fatty Liver

Liver Chi’s high effectiveness in the management of fatty liver is seen especially in long term effects such as reduction of blood cholesterol and the normalization of liver functions.

In one study, mice with alcohol-induced fatty livers were given 500mg of Liver Chi. Results showed that the livers returned to normal levels of lipid peroxides in the liver cells in 10 days. Also, tyrosine aminotransferase enzyme levels actually increased proportionally to the amount of Liver Chi taken.

In a clinical study on 54 cases hepatitis and fatty liver, Liver Chi was 100% effective for fatty liver in 5 months.

Liver Chi can be combined with Cordyceps Extract for any liver disorder. Cordyceps improves liver function by increased activity of hepatic glucokinase, hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. It also lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels, indicating that the liver is able to metabolize cholesterol properly and is beneficial for fatty livers.

Liver Chi is a very important supplement for non-alcoholic fatty liver or for any liver condition. Take it with Cordyceps Extract to reduce liver enzymes and improve liver function.

It is also important to address the underlying causes of fatty liver for better results.

• Because obesity is one of the main causes of fatty liver, reduce weight gradually. Losing about 3.5 lbs per week is fine. You can do this with exercise and by taking Slender All, Myomin and Pro-Metabolic. To reduce high cholesterol and lipids, change your diet and take Wine Extract.
• For insulin resistance, take Diabend, OxyPower and Myomin.
• If you have hypothyroidism, take Pro-Metabolic. To reduce intestinal permeability, take GI Chi and Digestron.
• For estrogen dominance, take Myomin.
• To reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, take OxyPower.

It has been mentioned that non-alcoholic fatty liver is the number one cause of abnormal ALT and AST values, so taking Liver Chi to reduce these will be very beneficial. If both enzymes are within normal range, do not rule out liver disease. Check your AST/ALT ratio. If it is over 0.8, there is a risk for fatty liver or liver cirrhosis. Take Liver Chi right away to normalize this ratio.

Branching and bulging veins under the tongue are important early indicators of liver disease. These signal bulging blood vessels (varices) in the esophagus caused by portal hypertension. As liver disease gets worse, these varices can rupture and cause bleeding.